Secular voices to intervene against proposed evangelical law school

April 25, 2016

The BC Humanist Association, along with the Canadian Secular Alliance, have been granted Leave to Intervene at the BC Court of Appeal in a case over a proposed law school at the Christian Evangelical Trinity Western University. Working together with leading lawyer Tim Dickson, the organizations will bring the voice of the secular movement to this case.

Following the BC Supreme Court’s December 2015 decision ruling in favour of TWU, the Law Society of BC appealed to the BC Court of Appeal and filed its written argument with the BC Court of Appeal on February 4, 2016.

TWU requires that all students and staff sign a Community Covenant, which excludes anyone who’s in a homosexual relationship.

Ian Bushfield, Executive Director, BC Humanist Association:

TWU’s religious-based discrimination should not be endorsed in today's society. By intervening in this case, the BCHA and CSA are going to make the argument that freedom of religion does not grant institutions like TWU the ability to coerce consensual behaviour among its students.

The hearing in the BC Court of Appeal will be held June 1-3, 2016. The proposed law school is currently also facing challenges at appeal courts in Ontario and Nova Scotia.